Your Humble Scribe

Thursday, July 21, 2011

I have just received, well, multiple copies of a police cruiser dash-cam video of a stop performed by two officers of the Canton Police Department in Canton, Ohio.

I am speechless.

The video is here:

After sitting through that, I have some questions.

1) Is it Standard Operating Procedure for Canton PD Officers to threaten to assault handcuffed and compliant prisoners?

2) Is it SOP for Canton PD Officers to search the back seat of a car with the driver not only still sitting in the car, but not even Terry frisked yet?

3) Is it SOP for Canton PD Officers to threaten the murder of handcuffed and compliant prisoners?

Now.

That lead officer in this video needs a psych evaluation. Sooner, rather than later.

I neither know, nor care, what snakes he's got in his head, what sort of shift he had or what personal problems he's got, but he is a loose cannon on deck and does not need to be driving anything with more horsepower than a desk, nor carrying any gun that uses anything other than water for ammunition.

As a law enforcement professional my-own-self, I state here and now that that man makes me ashamed of my chosen profession.

If you can not handle that traffic stop in the video, my old lad -- that certain, particular and exact traffic stop in the above video -- with more self-control, more decorum, more professionalism, and more basic, common courtesy than what you show ... tell me, do: what the hell are you going to do on one that really goes rodeo?

Insults are no substitute for self-control. Threats are not better than self-discipline. Screaming is not a replacement for dignity and courtesy.

Burger King is hiring. Do yourself a favour; do your department a favour; and do the rest of us a favour -- find a job doing something else ... before you cripple or maim an innocent "putting lumps" on them, or you "put ten rounds" into someone who doesn't need killing.